180 gr. 357 loads

[John R.]

I need some input on the 180 gr. Nosler Partition and/or the 180 gr. XTP for deer hunting with the 357 Mag. (A buddy has only one pistol and wants to deer hunt with it). Any help would be appreciated. :-)

[Jerry Lester]

Tell him to load up some Remington 158g JSPs to around 1300-1400 fps, and he'll have as good a 357 deer load as you can get.

I've killed quite a few deer with both a 357 Blackhawk, and a Marlin 357 rifle. I've experimented with a lot of bullet weights, and styles, and I've found that (so far) this is just about the perfect bullet for deer with a 357 magnum from a starting velocity of 1300-1700 fps.

1300-1400 fps (revolver) gives exellent performance up to 50-60 yards.

1600-1700 fps (rifles) gives the same up to 100 yards.

I'm not saying that the heavy weight .357" bullets aren't good for deer, but only that they're absolutely "not" neccesary for clean kills. You'll also find that usually, you'll get a lot more combinations that turn out to be accurate using 158g bullets with most powders.

[LMM]

John R.

Jerry Lester is one of the best sources you'll find for .357 Magnum performance on deer. What he is telling you is field tested not paper ballistics.

Despite some rhetoric you'll read (mostly from people who have never taken deer with a .357 Magnum) he will not be undergunned with his .357 Magnum. As with any firearm his success will be limited by his hunting and shooting abilities.

[Mikey]

John R:  I'll agree with Jerry Lester and LMN that the 158 grain in the 357 is a good all around slug but I prefer the heavier weights myself.  My favorite is the 200 gn swc over 12.4 of WW296.  Supposed to clock at 1335'/sec from a pistol barrel and no tell in' what it does from a rifle or carbine.  Just my 2 cents.  Mikey.

[John R.]

Thanks for the input guys (especially Jerry). I have several 357's , S&W M-28,M-66, and Colt Python. I load for all of them, but have not tried deer hunting with them. (I use a Ruger Bisley in 45 Colt for deer and hogs.) I just happen to have about 400 rounds of 158 gr. JHP. I'll get him to order some JSP. In the meantime we only have one weekend of deer season left in MS. for gun hunting so we picked up a box of 180 gr. Partitions to get him by until I have more time for testing. THANKS AGAIN

[Spyro Andes]

I need some input on the 180 gr. Nosler Partition and/or the 180 gr. XTP for deer hunting with the 357 Mag. (A buddy has only one pistol and wants to deer hunt with it). Any help would be appreciated. :-)

Wow, it has been a long time since I hunted with a 357 magnum.

I used to hunt with a  6" Python (20 years ago).  Other than 22s, it was my first "hunting" handgun.  My father bought me a used one when I was 14 yrs old for Christmas.

I shot several lions with that gun, a couple of bears and a few hogs...  most were killed with the standard 158 gr Jacketed Soft Point but I have also used, I believe it was Sierra Silhouette, 180 gr jacketed soft points with good success.

Enjoy!

[HappyHunter]

I have used both the 200 wfngc and the Hornady 180 gr XTP.

Only the XTP has had a shot at a deer and it was a good shoot clean through and through the engine room and less than 50 yards to recover.  I do not feel that the 158 grain would have performed any less.  But I do feel that if I had hit shoulder that it might not have passed through...don't know.  

It all boils down to placement.   I use the my .357 (SW M 66, 4 inch) as a back up to my 41 mag (SW 657, 8-3/8 inch with scope).  The .357 is for the deer that gets too close for the scoped gun.  

Fred

[Mattkc]

John R. couple of years ago I asked the same questions you are asking.  I was going to go with 180gr for deer but changed my mind after reading Jerry's response and some other guys that had killed lots of deer with the 357.  The 158gr bullet is the perfect combination of weight and velocity for a clean kill on deer.  If I wanted to use a big heavy bullet I'd get a 45 LC.  I use a 158gr XTP with 18gr Lil-gun for my deer outstanding performance.

[ftw]

I don't hunt with a 357 just because I have some better choices I like. But I have two friends that wanted to hunt with 357's. One a S&W and the other a Taurus. They wanted to use the 180 XTP's so I worked them up a load using 9.2 Grs of Blue Dot.

They have each taken two deer with the loads and had excellent results. The farthest shot was about 70 yards and none of the deer went far if at all.

Would the 158 Gr work as well? I just don't have any personal experience with it, so I will keep using the 180 XTP.

[leadbutt]

I have an old Colt 357 6" I have hunted with now on about 35 years, don't use any thing lighter then the 180's,like hard cast the best, just incase it clips part of the shoulder  going in or a rib,,don't like the JHP's as most are really for shooting people ,, try a few different loads and see what works best in yours

[Lawful Larry]

John R.

Jerry Lester is one of the best sources you'll find for .357 Magnum performance on deer. What he is telling you is field tested not paper ballistics.

Not familiar with this gentleman.  Does he have a website or does he write for one of the gun mags?  I would be interested in reading some of his work on the .357 mag.

Thanks

[Jerry Lester]

John R.

Jerry Lester is one of the best sources you'll find for .357 Magnum performance on deer. What he is telling you is field tested not paper ballistics.

Not familiar with this gentleman.  Does he have a website or does he write for one of the gun mags?  I would be interested in reading some of his work on the .357 mag.

Thanks

No! LOL!!

I'm just a hunter, and registered on several hunting/shooting boards.

[LMM]

.....I'm just a hunter.....

What better source than that? Who cares what desk jockeys have to say?